Heart's in the right place, as always. But Samoa? Unless you sail there, of course. On a wooden boat, with no electronics. And bicyles are made of metal, which needs mines...

But carping aside (oops, carp are Exogenous Eco-Intruders, sorry), you're describing quite an elitist experience. Whatever happened to Equality of Outcomes? To be truly eco-friendly, should not these fab sensations be readily available to the citoyen of South Auckland, as well as those of a 10-acre ranchero?

Just askin'

Have to agree with Waymad on this one. A great deal of these "eco" things funnily enough cost alot of money. If your encouraging people to spend money lets hope their dollars were "green" to begin with. Can i just say also that you should really rethink your title intro for this blog.

"'eco' isn't just a prefix meaning 'going without' - it's about being cool, credible and life-enhancing."

Ah, it should never be about "being cool" that implies starting a trend, when infact its just about being more concious of mother nature & your place & own impact on the planet.

I think the Organic Explorer Guide Book sounds wonderful. I think its fantastic to get people excited about New Zealand and as you say enjoy our travels closer to home. I have to say my ideal family getaway is heading away for a few days camping with the children, visiting some local farmers markets and treating ourselves to some great cafes along the way. So this guide sounds great for us.

I think we can all appreciate the importance of enjoying life and creating fulfilling experiences. I agree with Natalie that we don't need to go without, we just need to be aware there are changes we can make that impact less on the environment.

The word “eco” can mean almost anything anyone one wants it to mean, but in this case the “Organic Explorer” actually states its own definition to permit inclusion of an establishment in the guide: - Grows and/or serves organic food from conventional accommodation and/or - Embodies principles of sustainability but may not grow or serve organic food

Some people might find this definition a little loose. Certainly some of the tourist accommodations listed in the guide are doing their bit for the environment, but others appear to be simply upmarket destinations for wealthy tourists, using the “eco” label simply for marketing purposes.

As an alternative I can thoroughly recommend a backpacking holiday (using the smaller and higher rated establishments from the www.bbh.co.nz association). We’re both in our 50s and earlier in the year toured around some of the scenic southern areas of the South Island. We met lots of mainly young foreign tourists and had a wonderful experience. Accommodation is well priced (about $25 per person per night) and very comfortable and ranges from dorms, shared rooms to private doubles and ensuites. Shared kitchen facilities are provided so if you’re into organic food then take your own and hey presto you’ve had an eco-holiday at much less cost than you’d pay for the establishment in this guide.